More than 20 volunteers participated in the Friends of Pennypack Park’s monthly park cleanup on April 30, collecting 25 bags of trash, three bags of recyclable cans and numerous large items that had been discarded in the park.
The group, which celebrated the annual Earth Day, focused its efforts along Lexington Avenue, between Ryan and Solly avenues, as well as Rhawn Street, from Lexington to Holmehurst Avenue.
Volunteers included Robert McMunn, Alan Ostrow, Father Judge students Alex Citerone and Anthony Perez, Roman Catholic student Bill Burgess and his mom Diane Burgess, Joelle Steinmetz, James and Sandy Stewart, Dana Nguyen and her daughter Taylor, Charlie Troy, Deb O’Connor, Linda Davies, Leo Magazzu III and his dog Max, Russ Shehinsky, Kevin Sweetra, Jim Smyth, Jim Ryan, Florence Brodman, Sheila Grossman, Nance Kerns and FOPP President Linde Lauff.
The Community Life Improvement Program disposed of the collected trash.
Some of the more unexpected debris found in the park included a car tire and rim, a piece of a trellis, a soup spoon, a yard sale sign, a circular saw blade, a house key on a St. Hubert’s lanyard, lawn furniture, 25 feet of garden edging, one flip-flop, three T-shirts, a tank top, two pair of underwear bottoms, a winter coat, a scarf, a hubcap, a car fender, a pulley, part of a car tire, a softball cover, a baby doll’s leg, a glass Pepsi bottle, an expired public transit pass, a high school love letter, a mattress store sign, a bucket, a miniblinds box, a TV box, a padlock, an air freshener and an unopened bottle of Drano.
The following day, FOPP members returned to the park after learning that someone had short-dumped pieces of slate. Members retrieved the items with plans of re-using them as garden paths in their own yards.
Noting that Lexington Avenue, between Ryan Avenue and Rhawn Street, is a common dumping ground for yard waste, FOPP members ask that witnesses to dumping call 911 immediately to report the crime.
The FOPP will hold its next park cleanup on Saturday, May 28, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sandy Run (Ryan Avenue and Sandyford Road, next to Austin Meehan Middle School).
In case of inclement weather, call 215–934-PARK to learn the postponement status.
